We are entering an important period of the school year, a time of tests, assignments, and academic challenges. Every student wants to succeed and see the fruits of their hard work, while our educators work hard to help every student reach their full potential.
But during this busy period, it is worth asking an important question: What is the best way to succeed?
Parshat Noach presents us with two great figures, Noah and Moshe Rabbeinu, and teaches us a profound lesson about the connection between personal success and responsibility toward others.
The Meshech Chochmah, Rabbi Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, commenting on the verse “ויחל נח איש האדמה,” quotes a Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 36:3):
“אמר רב ברכיה, חביב משה מנח: נח, משנקרא איש צדיק, נקרא איש האדמה; משה, משנקרא איש מצרי, נקרא איש אלוקים.”
Both Noah and Moshe are described in the Torah as ish, meaning “man,” but their journeys are very different. Noah begins as “איש צדיק תמים,” a righteous and blameless man, but later becomes “איש האדמה,” a man of the earth (Bereishit 9:20).
Moshe's journey is the opposite. He is initially described as “איש מצרי” by Yitro's daughters in Parshat Shemot, but eventually receives the lofty title “איש האלוקים,” a man of G-d, in Parshat Vezot Haberachah.
What is the difference between Noah and Moshe, and what can we learn from it?
The Meshech Chochmah explains that there are two approaches to serving Hashem. One focuses primarily on personal spirituality and growth, as we see with Noah. The other combines serving Hashem with caring for the community and helping others, as we see with Moshe.
At first, it may seem that someone who focuses only on personal growth will advance further than someone who spends time helping others. But the Meshech Chochmah teaches us the opposite: Concern for others can lead a person to even greater spiritual heights.
Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz, in his sefer Panim Yafot, offers a beautiful explanation of the verse in Tehillim (92:13): ״,צדיק כתמר יפרח, כארז בלבנון ישגה״ A righteous person flourishes like a date palm and grows tall like a cedar in Lebanon.
Why does the verse begin with a date palm and end with a cedar? The date palm produces fruit for others, while the cedar grows tall. A righteous person chooses to share his fruits with others, investing time in helping them, even when it seems to come at the expense of his own development.
Yet the verse concludes: ״כארז בלבנון ישגה״
Through giving to others, the righteous person ultimately reaches spiritual heights he may never have imagined. Helping others does not hold back our personal growth; often, it is precisely the path that allows us to grow.
This is what we see in Moshe Rabbeinu. From the beginning, Moshe cared about others. He went out to his fellow Jews, witnessed their suffering, and even risked his own safety to save a Jewish man from an Egyptian taskmaster. Ultimately, he became “איש האלוקים.”
Noah, by contrast, focused on his own world. Rather than seeing a similar rise in his titles, we see a transition from “איש צדיק תמים” to “איש האדמה.”
Especially during this period of tests and assignments, it is easy to focus entirely on ourselves: I need to study, finish my work, and succeed. Of course, hard work and academic achievement are important. But the Torah reminds us that our success does not stand alone.
A student who helps a struggling classmate understand a Gemara passage or a science concept, or encourages someone who feels unsuccessful, is doing more than an act of kindness. That student is developing a personality that sees and cares about others. By explaining something to someone else, we may also deepen our own understanding and develop patience, listening skills, and responsibility.
Caring for others is also reflected in small daily actions. When we clean up after ourselves, throw our trash away, and keep our classrooms clean, we make life easier for the facilities and operations staff who work hard to maintain a pleasant environment for us.
A person of character does not ask only who is responsible for cleaning up. He also asks what he can do to make life easier for someone else.
These small actions demonstrate responsibility, gratitude, and respect.
The same message applies to our educators. During such a busy period, it is easy to measure success by how much material we teach, how many tests we grade, and how many tasks we complete.
But the Meshech Chochmah reminds us of a deeper measure of educational success: How well have we managed to see the student behind the grade?
Sometimes this means giving extra attention to a struggling student, speaking with someone who has lost confidence, or encouraging a student whose hard work has not yet produced the desired results.
This does not mean neglecting our responsibilities or giving up on academic achievement. Rather, we must not allow tests and assignments to distract us from our greater purpose: helping every student grow, progress, and discover their strengths.
Educational success is measured not only by how many students achieve high grades, but also by how many students we help believe they are capable of achieving them.
Perhaps this is one of the greatest lessons of the Midrash's comparison between Noah and Moshe. A person can be righteous and strive for personal growth, but true greatness is also revealed through taking responsibility for others.
Moshe Rabbeinu was not satisfied with becoming great himself. He carried the Jewish people on his shoulders, prayed for them, and cared for them. Through this sense of responsibility, he reached the level at which the Torah calls him “איש האלוקים.”
This is our challenge in the coming weeks.
Students, do not ask only how you can succeed on your next test. Ask yourselves whom you can help succeed, too.
Fellow educators, alongside our investment in teaching, assessment, and academic achievement, let us remember our greater mission: not merely to transmit knowledge, but to help shape human beings.
If each of us helps even one person move forward—by explaining, encouraging, listening, or making life a little easier for someone else—we can create an environment where one person's success becomes an opportunity for everyone to grow.
Because ultimately, our greatness is measured not only by how high we climb ourselves, but also by how many people we help rise alongside us.
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